Category: Sepsis

What Can We Learn from the COVID Pandemic?

The COVID Pandemic touched us all with disease, death, and isolation.

In an article published in Open Access Government, a digital publication that provides an in-depth perspective on key public policy areas from all around the world, Michael Wong, JD (Founder & Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) and Amy Campbell, Ph.D., RN, CPHQ, LSBB (Quality Nurse Specialist, ECU Health; Chair, PPAHS Sepsis Advisory Board) gather the thoughts and recommendations from the recent 4th World Sepsis Congress on how the pandemic, while tragic, showed new ways of working that could be applied in the battle against sepsis.

To read the article on Open Access Government, please visit (p 51).

Or, read a PDF of the article, by clicking on the image below:

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Preventing Hospital-Acquired Sepsis: Best Practices and Quality Improvement Initiatives

Preventing Hospital-Acquired Sepsis: Best Practices and Quality Improvement Initiatives

By Dr. Joni Grace, BHMS, PGDCR, Strategic Case Management Consultant, Jhpiego (Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics)

Sepsis is a serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition characterized by a dysregulated systemic response to infection. It is a major global health concern, accounting for a significant number of hospital admissions, prolonged stays, and mortality rates worldwide.

Hospital-acquired sepsis occurs when an infection develops after admission to a healthcare facility, such as a hospital or long-term care facility. It typically arises due to the introduction of pathogens into the patient’s bloodstream through invasive procedures, contaminated medical devices, surgical sites, or poor hygiene practices. Common causative organisms include Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida species.

The global burden of sepsis is difficult to ascertain, although a recent scientific publication estimated that in 2017 there were 48.9 million cases and 11 million sepsis-related deaths worldwide, which accounted for almost 20% of all global deaths. In 2017, almost half of all global sepsis cases occurred among children, with an estimated 20 million cases and 2.9 million global deaths in children under five years of age. 

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The Benefits of Multidisciplinary Teams in Sepsis Care at the Healthcare Facility Level: The Role of the Nurse

This article discusses the role of nurses in improving sepsis care. Written by one of our nurse writers, Marsha Pope Harrison, it discusses the recent 4th World Sepsis Congress on the benefits of multidisciplinary teams in sepsis care.

By Marsha Pope Harrison, RN, BSN 

Sepsis is a medical emergency that needs prompt and coordinated care. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sepsis as a life-threatening illness that occurs when the body’s response to an infection causes damage to its tissues and organs. The damage caused by sepsis can rapidly lead to organ failure and death.

Any infection can result in sepsis, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states nearly 87% of sepsis cases start before the patient gets to the hospital.  

Sepsis is a notable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In America, 1.7 million adults develop sepsis, and 350,000 die during their hospitalization, according to the CDC. 

With that said, we must take an interdisciplinary approach to treat patients who arrive with signs and symptoms of this deadly condition. This is where multidisciplinary teams for sepsis care come into play. Multidisciplinary teams play a crucial role in providing comprehensive and effective sepsis care. 

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Biomarkers in Early Diagnosis of Sepsis: An Interview With Dr. François Ventura

Biomarkers in Early Diagnosis of Sepsis: An Interview With Dr. François Ventura

By Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

Dr. François Ventura is a specialist in anesthesiology, intensive care medicine, and emergency medicine at the University Hospitals of Geneva and at the Hirslanden Clinique des Grangettes (Geneva, Switzerland). He also collaborates part-time as the chief medical officer of Abionic, a Lausanne-based Swiss MedTech company specializing in the development of ultra-rapid in vitro diagnostic tests.

Dr. François Ventura

I first met him when he spoke on a case report he and his colleagues had published in the Journal of Surgical Case Reports. This report detailed a 62-year-old man who experienced complications of abdominal surgery with intra-abdominal infection, postoperative peritonitis, sepsis, septic shock, and multiple organ failure requiring complex management and multiple surgical interventions.

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Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety Accredits 4th World Sepsis Congress for Continuing Medical Education Credits

We are pleased to announce that 12 of the 16 sessions of the 4th World Sepsis Congress hosted by the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) have been accredited by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) for continuing medical education (CME) credits. 

To receive continuing medical education credits for watching the Congress sessions, please click here. Time-limited offer – purchase 1 course by June 30, 2023, and take the other 11 for free in July!

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Sepsis is the Leading Cause of Death in Children

Sepsis is the Leading Cause of Death in Children

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder & Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

Pediatric Sepsis is a Common and Deadly Problem

According to the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), pediatric sepsis is a common and deadly public health issue:

Population-based studies of the prevalence of pediatric sepsis estimate 72-89 cases per 100,000 pediatric population in the United States, with over 50,000-75,000 hospitalizations for pediatric sepsis and an associated cost near $5 billion annually. Globally, there are an estimated 22 cases of pediatric severe sepsis per 100,000 person-years and 2,202 cases of neonatal sepsis per 100,000 live births, translating into 1.2 million cases of pediatric and 3 million cases of neonatal sepsis per year. Over 4% of all hospitalized patients younger than 18 years and 8% of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients in the United States have sepsis. Although estimates are challenged by a lack of standardized data collection and inconsistent reporting, these data confirm that sepsis is common in pediatric patients.

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What is COVIDSepsis?

What is COVIDSepsis?

COVIDSepsis Defined

COVIDSepis (noun): COVIDSepsis is a medical condition where the patient presents with the following conditions – coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and fever. Patients with COVIDSepsis may also have an altered mental state, difficulty breathing, reduced urine output, rapid heart rate, a weak pulse, and cold extremities. 

According to the Sepsis Alliance, “severe COVID-19 is viral sepsis.” As a result, distinguishing between whether a patient is suffering from COVID or has sepsis can be very difficult. As researchers in their research published in December of 2021 concluded:

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Global Sepsis Alliance Commends Physician-Patient Alliance Video Featuring Dr. Ken Rothfield

The Global Sepsis Alliance has commended the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) for its invaluable contribution to reducing the unacceptable human suffering from sepsis. The Global Sepsis Awards, which are sponsored by the Erin Kay Flatley Memorial Foundation, honor outstanding efforts to increase sepsis awareness and raise the quality of sepsis prevention and management.

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